Vanguard Increases 3D Printing Medical Goggles Production

Hunan Vanguard Group Co, Ltd (Vanguard), a subsidiary of China South Industries Group Corporation (CSGC), has increased its daily output of 3D printed medical goggles from 600 to 2,000 pairs to support the fight against the epidemic.

The only enterprise to produce medical goggles of the central SOEs, Vanguard had earlier delivered 2,125 pairs of 3D printed goggles for medical use to the front-line and another 300 pairs of a newer type also arrived at Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province, on Feb 25.

The company installed a batch of new equipment on Feb 24 which will help increase daily output of the 3D printed products from 600 pairs to 2,000.

Yang Kai, general manager of the additional material department of Vanguard, said that more than 200 sets of equipment valued at 5 million yuan ($0.71 million) had been brought into the company and are being used to produce 3D printed medical goggles which were developed in just seven days during the epidemic outbreak.

Yang explained that the stereolithography 3D printer is the best method of production of the main structure of the goggles, requiring only one hour.

Ou Xuhui, deputy general manager of Vanguard, said that the supporting structure of the goggles is made of hard materials but soft materials are used for the parts contacting the face, allowing for a better fit.

With a special high definition lens and a unique coating technology, the goggles can be worn for a long time without being fogged by exhaled breath.

Vanguard said that it intends to build an industrial internet medical goggle platform relying on the "Internet plus 3D printing" to make full use of the new infrastructure and to collect and share resources to realize daily production of 10,000 pairs of goggles.

(Executive editor: Wang Ruoting)